What's the problem with electric cars?

[GMcL]

I would buy secondhand before I bought something designed without airbags and other safety systems as part of the basic vehicle.

Cars originally designed for the Chinese market do not have to meet European safety standards, they are added on later as modules not integrated.

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by GMcL

I would buy secondhand before I bought something designed without airbags and other safety systems as part of the basic vehicle.

Cars originally designed for the Chinese market do not have to meet European safety standards, they are added on later as modules not integrated.

I wouldn't buy something with a poor safety record either, but there's a huge gap in the market at the moment.

If EV's do become the car of choice in the future and eventually replace ICE vehicles, there has to be other options available that aren't as expensive as the fancy Tesla's - Simply to cater to people's needs that can't afford the posh EV's. There has to be safety systems included in these cars too. 1 star euro NCAP rating like the Dacia Spring has doesn't solve anything.

The Dacia Spring may be cheap and supposedly good for the environment (supposedly*), but the risk of serious injury or death in an accident in a car like that is very high. You can't have people driving around in unsafe vehicles either. Cars like that shouldn't be sold here, arguably, they should be sold anywhere! Its not the 1900's.

I think petrol and diesel will be taxed to the sky in the future, much higher than it is now. The Government don't want ICE cars... they're banning the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035, so there's a hint.

When that happens, the options will be second hand ICE (including hybrid), full EV or keeping the car you've got, but no doubt, the EV will still be cheaper to run because the ICE cars will be taxed to the hilt, so more people swap to EV's.

Remember, its all about their "green climate" and "net zero" agenda, which is just a money racket. Whilst we drive around paying high road tax and those in London are paying ulez charges, road tax, pay per mile (potentially), congestion charges, toll charges to go through tunnels... China and India are laughing at us polluting more than we ever have, and, will continue to do so for many many years whilst we all pay through the roof to drive a Nissan Micra to the shops.

[Moose Test]

Originally Posted by Kev0607

1 star euro NCAP rating like the Dacia Spring

To suspend the debate on tax position etc. briefly, I think the above is an absolute disgrace and Dacia should be ashamed of themselves for even considering that such a poor safety rating is acceptable in this era.

To being some context, Dacia are the only marque to have achieved such a dismal rating in tests made this decade, save Renault with their Zoe (which I consider more of a bike). And it's not confined to the EV Sprint model either, everything they've tested since 2020 is just as poor.

There's an obvious need for affordable vehicles but not like this.

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by Moose Test

To suspend the debate on tax position etc. briefly, I think the above is an absolute disgrace and Dacia should be ashamed of themselves for even considering that such a poor safety rating is acceptable in this era.

To being some context, Dacia are the only marque to have achieved such a dismal rating in tests made this decade, save Renault with their Zoe (which I consider more of a bike). And it's not confined to the EV Sprint model either, everything they've tested since 2020 is just as poor.

There's an obvious need for affordable vehicles but not like this.

Yes, its a total disgrace. Cars with that safety rating should not be sold in this day and age.

[Moomoo]

Motorists have been a cash-cow for years.

Pollution was the additional tit for governments to suck on.

Imagine, if you will, a canoe. In the front is a British bloke, bailing water out with a cup, in seats two, three and four we have an Indian, a Chinese and American throwing water in with buckets.

That is my vision of all this. I know we have to something but making the motorist a demon , surely………..

Walk around Poundland and the ilk and look at the absolutely USELESS crap, the planet’s resources are being destroyed for.

As one instance.

[Kev0607]

But the pollution isn’t coming down! Its actually gone up in ULEZ zones. There’s a chap on YouTube who did tests before ULEZ was expanded and after… guess what? Its higher than it was.

https://youtu.be/C_n2sIuuboA?si=KHfZqOSKISYMfEpY

And the London underground is shocking, but motorists pay the price…

https://youtu.be/n01GckFEkck?si=gJ--hdCa4_L4EmjQ

[Moose Test]

Originally Posted by Moomoo

Motorists have been a cash-cow for years.
Imagine, if you will, a canoe. In the front is a British bloke, bailing water out with a cup, in seats two, three and four we have an Indian, a Chinese and American throwing water in with buckets.


Walk around Poundland and the ilk and look at the absolutely USELESS crap, the planet’s resources are being destroyed for.

I couldn't agree more. If western governments were at all sincere in their stated desire to protect the environment then it's long after time they should have instituted punitive levies on imported goods and services from nations that haven't and won't sign up to and uphold equivalent standards and targets.

And tax the living pi*$ out of things like "disposable" vapes, if not outright ban them.

[The Thong]

Originally Posted by Moomoo

Motorists have been a cash-cow for years.

Pollution was the additional tit for governments to suck on.

Imagine, if you will, a canoe. In the front is a British bloke, bailing water out with a cup, in seats two, three and four we have an Indian, a Chinese and American throwing water in with buckets.

That is my vision of all this. I know we have to something but making the motorist a demon , surely………..

Walk around Poundland and the ilk and look at the absolutely USELESS crap, the planet’s resources are being destroyed for.

As one instance.

Consumerism is the big polluter and this is what people can’t get their heads around. Separating your recyclables and turning your thermostat down a degree is not going to make one bit of difference. People wouldn’t be prepared to go to the lengths required to make it happen. Meanwhile the targeted sales tempt people to buy more and more. It’s even easier when you can buy from the comfort of your home and put more vehicles on the road to deliver it all. That’s a subject for another thread.

TT

[Rob1950]

There's nothing retrospective about it. It's effective from next year, not last year. It's absolutely right that all vehicles should contribute and I think that that contribution should also take into account volume and weight. Modern cars are stupidly oversized and over priced, with the pricing hidden inside a PCP finance wrapper.

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by Rob1950

There's nothing retrospective about it. It's effective from next year, not last year. It's absolutely right that all vehicles should contribute and I think that that contribution should also take into account volume and weight. Modern cars are stupidly oversized and over priced, with the pricing hidden inside a PCP finance wrapper.

If that's how they decide to calculate road tax in future (weight), then us Volvo owner's will definitely pay higher prices. Volvo's aren't light cars, even the older ones are heavy compared to other similar cars.

Its highly unlikely that they'll tax EV's based on weight and leave all other cars that aren't EV's paying road tax not based on weight. That's if they do go down the weight route as a calculation of how much a car should be per year. Current road tax is based on emissions, engine size and fuel type.

I personally think big SUV's (like Range Rover size) and big electric cars like Tesla's should pay the most.

It seems unfair that a Nissan Leaf EV is going to pay the same as a Tesla as of next year (£180). Yet, the Tesla is a far bigger and heavier vehicle. Same applies to newer Range Rovers... they're huge and pay the same as an old Nissan Micra.